Begin Again, the latest album by Randy Seedorff makes its message incredibly clear from its opening track (“Dream”). You have to have faith in yourself and not listen to anyone trying to drag you down. Randy sings this both for himself and on behalf of the listener or any listener who might feel a little stuck or afraid to go for their dreams. It’s truly inspiring stuff and that kind of acts as the through-line for the majority of the album. Faith is important to Randy as he’s a pastor and after dealing with a particularly scary situation back in 1999, he’s dedicated his life to expressing his faith and trying to reach out to others with the power of music (Look into the group Soul Purpose, which he founded in 2010 for more information).
WEBSITE: randyseedorff.com/
Up until now, he’s released two albums that have been well done and polished and have certainly netted him his fair share of attention, but I think Begin Again might be his work to date. Something that feels like it was carved out of his flesh, blood, and soul, this album is a love letter to the lord and life itself and done with nuanced and expressive musical flourishes that I think anyone with a love for music, Christianity, or both can find plenty to enjoy from Seedorff and his brand of down-home happy that he’s worked so immensely hard for. It is truly an unforgettable experience that would make anyone proud,
This album combines elements of rock, bluegrass, and even some pseudo jazz and soft reflective spoken word vibes over the course of its eight tracks, all blooming with their own distinct personality that any one of them could have made for an excellent single release on their own. You can actually hear the major single from this EP “Family Tree” online right now. Songs like “Dream”, “Family Tree” and “My Maria” have a wonderful upbeat tone that just sees Randy expressing his love for his life and for those who he has around him in such a truly generous and selfless way.
REVERBNATION: www.reverbnation.com/randyseedorff
Tracks like “The Poet” takes a more introspective look at almost the artistry and choices that I assume push Seedorff to make music, talking about the level of care and soul that goes into crafting it, all with this more heavy gruff tone sound to it, evoking an almost Leonard Cohen or Tom Waits for the vibe, minus the gruffness of the voice. Randy’s vocal abilities have always been strong from his previous efforts and it’s no different here and you can tell considering that Pastors tend to have to stretch their voice in large spaces, but Randy remains effective when hitting high notes or especially emotional highs, but he never goes so over the top it becomes distracting. The instruments are all perfectly calibrated to work with one another and often there’s no flashy element to the production, just real meat and potatoes vibe making the basics work, but wow, how he makes them work. It’s a must listen,
Clay Burton